Improvement in miners lanterns



B. TAPPA N Lanterns.

' Miners Y Patented March 10. 187.4.

NrrEn SrATEs PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN TAPPAN, OF STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT lN MINERS" LANTERNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148.525, ed Mar h 1 4;app ca filed November 19, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN TAPPAN, of Steubenville, in the county of Jefl'erson and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Safety-Lamps for Miners; and dohereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing making a part of thisspecification, in which-- Figure l is a side elevation. of my improvedlamp, and Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of my invention is to provide a lamp or lantern for the useof miners which shall be strong, easily made, of, good lightingcapacity, and quite safe in use in mines, whatever may be the state ofthe air therein; and to this end it consists in a lamp or lanternprovided with a mica chimney or casing, at the upper and lower endswhereof are sections of wire-gauze or finely-perforated metal ofcorresponding shape, and in so uniting or connecting the said sectionsand casing to each other, and to the lamp, that the union shall be verytight and secure. It consists, finally, in the general detail ofconstruction of this safety lamp or lantern for miners use, whereby asafe and effective lighting device is produced.

In the annexed drawings,A represents the oil-cup, which has an extendedneck, A, and the wick-tube a, which is attached to a disk, it, placedupon a flange on the inside of the neck A, and is secured inplace by aring, which is screwed down upon it. Asmall tube, a, passes from thebase of the oil-cup to and just above said disk, and in it is placed aclearing wire and pick, a. The lower end of said wire is bent so as toserve as a handle on the under side of the cup, to move the pick, whilethe end near the wick is so bent that it can be turned horizontally toclean the wick, or moved. up and down in the wick-tube slot to raise thewick. The oil-cup has a screw-thread on its exterior surface, at (0*, bymeans of which it is fitted into the ring or flange B on the screwthreadon the inner face of said flange. When the oil-cup is screwed into thisflange in this manner, it can be locked in by means of the screw-bolt b,the outer end of which projects from the said ring or flange through thesocket b. The said outer end is flat, and can be readily grasped by thebifurcated end of the key O, and easily turned in and upon thescrewthread on the oil-cup, and will thus hold these said parts rigidlytogether, so that no ordinary use or moderate shaking or concussion willdetach them, or separate them, from each other. Thus the lamp willseldomindeed, almost neverfall out, or be shaken from its seat. 1) isthe wire-gauze. This gauze, or finely-perforated metal, is placed bothat the top and bottom of mica portion E, thus making provision for theescape of the products of combustion at the upper part of the cylinderwhich surrounds the wick and constitutes the flamechamber, and for theadmission of sufficient quantity of air to support combustion of thelamp-wick, and at the same time preventing any flame or fire escapingbeyond the inner periphery of said chamber or gauze, as well as theentrance of any of the explosive or dangerous gases. The piece of gauzeat the lower end of the chimney is secured to the flange or ring B bybending its ends outward, so that they will catch or engage upon theshoulder on the inner side of the flange, or in any fast or safe mannerthat workmanlike skill shall suggest. It projects upward, surroundingthe neck of the oil-cup, and terminates about on a line with its top, sothat its upper edge is very near even with the top of the wick-tube. Themica portion E of the casing is made in any ordinary or well-knownmanner, and may be of any suitable size or shape-that is, triangular,square, polygonahor cylindrical-and may be made in one or many pieces.lts lower and upper ends may be made of such shape and size as to fittight and firmly upon and over or inside the ends of the wire-gauze. Imay make one or both of these connect-ions in this way, and one or bothby flaring the end of the wire-gauze, so that it shall fit into a ringor annulus, and upon the shoulder thereof. The end of the mica portionof the casing will also fit into or upon this ring, and be held firmlyin place.

The like method of connection could be used at the upper end of the micaportion of the casing, so that when the mica portion and thesupplemental upper and lower wire-gauze sections are set in position theentire chimney thus formed can be fastened and clamped in properposition by means of the hinged and locked cap, as will be explainedhereafter; but these are simply details of the construction that may beused in carrying out my invention, and in and of themselves are notunlike what is now well known; and while these and yet other means maybe used for carrying out my invention, none of them will modify orchange the same in any essential degree.

The upper piece of gauze should have a head or cover, as at d. This maybe made a part of the said piece by shaping it out in a press, or bystamping; or a flat piece or disk of gauze or finely-perforated metalmay be secured on and over the upper end, in any well-known manner.

The mica portion of the casing and the upper and lower cylinders orsections of wiregauze are protected and supported by means of standardsor wire rods G, which are usually fitted into or secured upon the lowerring or flange B. Their upper ends are in like manner fitted into orsecured to the ring H. The top or cap I is hinged to this. By means ofthe hinge it can be turned back, and thus leave the top of the lamp orlantern open. In this way the several parts can be removed when there isoccasion for cleaning or repairs. The top, when shut down, may be fixedin place by a lock or spring, and when thus fastened in place the micaand perforated sections, with their bands, connecting rings or pieces,are bound and clamped into position, so that no opening or crevice isallowed of sufficient size for the admission of dangerous and explosivegas. In and upon its upper side is a ring or handle, K, by means ofwhich. it can be hung up or carried about.

For excellence -in use, my device presents many rare and most valuableadvantages. It is so strong that it cannot be easily broken under anyordinary circumstances of use. The chimney, being made of mica, will notbe broken by the varying efl'ects of heat and cold, while at the sametime it will allow nearly or quite fully the same amount of lightingrays from the lamp flame to pass through it as glass will. The casingthus constructed with the mica and the sections of wire-gauze cannot beeasily broken by the pieces of coal, slate, or stone which areoccasionally sent forth from the blows of the pick when the miner is atwork, nor will the mica, when heated, be broken by the spattering ofwater upon its exterior surface. It constantly happens in mines that thetrickling water, or the water from opening of an unexpected spring,falls upon the outside case of the lantern. This renders the ordinaryglass chimney, globe, or lens entirely impracticable in a miners lamp.By placing the gauze or finelyperforated metal both at the lower andupper end of the chimney, a sure and perfect combustion of the oil isobtained, and also almost every opportunity or chance for explosionprevented.

The ordinary miners safety'lamp is made on the principleof the Davylamp, and has wire-gauze continuously from the lamp up to the cap. Thiscap is held in place, and the gauze also protected, by wire bars or rodsextending from the ring or annulus about the lamp to that at the top,and secured at both ends; while the gauze makes the lamp safe, there issent out from the wick-flame but a small per cent. of its illuminatingpower. To remedy this defect miners have used various expedients.Sometimes a reflector has been placed opposite the flame and inside thesurrounding or incasing wire-gauze. At other times a reflector has beenplaced outside the wire-gauze. Again, a glass lens has been placed inthe wire-gauze on a line with the flame; and yet again ordinary glasshas been used. But it will be readily seen that my device, as abovedescribed, is very diiferent from each and all these. The severalsections composing the lantern case or chimney are easily made andsecurely adjusted in relative position, and the lighting power of theflame to a large extent secured, and thus the lantern presents a simplerand better device than any other of the kind I am aware of. It issufficiently strong to safely withstand almost any exposure or usage.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what1 claim as new 1S 1. In. a miners safety lamp or lantern, substantiallyas described, a casing composed of a central section of mica and anupper and a lower section of wire-gauze or finely-perforated metal, thesaid section entirely surrounding the upper part of the lamp, the wickor flame chamber, and the space above, and litted in, upon, or over eachother, and held in position in manner set forth.

2. The mica portion of the casing E, having wire-gauze sections 1) I)fitted to its edges at top and bottom, as described, and combined withthe lamp A A, rods Gr, flange B, ring H. end-hinged and lock cap I,substantially :s and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this17th. day of November, 1873.

BENJ. TAPPAN \Vitnesses:

JOHN R. YOUNG, JAMES H. GRIDLEY.

